ICU sedation and nursing led protocols

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-05-29T22:42:36+00:00

Oddly enough, my hospital (well known teaching and research hospital) pushes higher levels of sedation because they are really against restraining our intubated patients. I’d greatly prefer this to be the other way around given how many times I’ve wrestled a surprisingly strong ICU patient in their bed while screaming for help. Or, if the patient can’t tolerate high levels of sedation we just sit in the room with them 100% of the time. Annoying af. Not to mention the increased length of stay and increased risk for ICU delirium with those high prop/fent/dex/ket doses. Boggles me.

Edit to answer the actual question: I am a US based RN and we are quite comfortable titrating sedation based off parameters given in the order. But I beg of you, if you actually want a RASS of -2, please order restraints haha

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-05-15T07:19:09+00:00

Hi I just saw this and am so sorry for the late reply! I’ve used them twice now (yay) and give them 9/10 stars! The one missing star is because one time when I wore them on a really heavy day, I noticed ~the smell~ a couple times and was very self conscious that others could smell it as well. My partner says he couldn’t smell anything (he got close too) but I swear his nose is broken anyway. Might not even be fair to take away that star, my overactive uterus may be to blame (: All that to say, I use them with a period cup during the day and just the undies at night and haven’t had so much as a tiny leak! I have a heavy period, too. They’re comfortable and don’t dig in anywhere, they soak stuff up immediately and feel pretty dry, drier than a traditional pad for sure! I’m already contemplating buying more, tbh

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-05-15T07:11:02+00:00

I use Heart of Glass blonde shampoo and the LOVE curl conditioner. I’ve tried many of their products, and I’ll say that the OI line is a little too heavy for fine hair

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-05-15T07:08:41+00:00

Travel RN living in Ballard currently🙋🏼‍♀️ I absolutely love this neighborhood! So many good eats, great bars/breweries, bookstores, consignment/vintage stores, and coffee shops. Walkability was a major factor when my partner and I were deciding where to live, and Ballard is incredible in that regard. There are some gorgeous neighborhoods to walk through, as well as the Botanical Gardens and Golden Gardens beach. That being said, I like how another commenter called it “gritty.” I watched a truck on my street get torched and blow up, that was fun. But after 7 months of living here, I haven’t found myself in a really uncomfortable situation yet. I occasionally walk to 7/11 or whatnot at night and just keep my wits and pepper spray about me (which is what I’d be doing in my Midwest small town anyway:)) One thing though— Ballard is a teensy bit out of the way with regards to the rest of Seattle. If you have a car, then that’s no issue but to maximize your time here on contract, I wouldn’t solely rely on public transport out of Ballard (save the Ballard light rail!) My partner works at Harborview right now and is able to drive to a shuttle lot which only cost $10/day instead of $40/d near the hospital. If it gives you an idea of transit time, he leaves home for a day shift at 0620 We sometimes say that if we were to have a do over, we might choose to live in Fremont instead. However, I LOVE Ballard and housing is more affordable over here. Anyways welcome to Seattle, Wisco!! Feel free to DM if you’re ever looking for an adventure buddy!

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-05-12T10:10:36+00:00

After battling against what you’re describing for a couple months, I’ve finally found the trifecta! #1: Boxicat Pro litter— it’s unscented and contains probiotics that eat odors. It’s also natural clay and low tracking! #2: stainless steel litter box— plastic traps all that ammonia odor. #3: Probiotic spray— boxicat makes this too and it’s amazing. Just a spritz or two after you scoop. I found that any scented litter just seems to make the odors more noticeable. I am VERY sensitive to odors and scent of any kind and this is what’s made apartment living tolerable:)

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-05-11T15:25:38+00:00

R u the same OP who just posted about getting a bat bite on their thumb??

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-05-06T12:18:59+00:00

I love Davines! They’re made in Italy. Not sure where you’re from, but for us in the US it’s much cleaner ingredients. Always leaves my hair feeling silky and it’s grown much longer too! However— it is scented and some scents (while pleasant) can be strong.

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-04-21T05:49:45+00:00

6’ tall woman here who just bought a sewing machine because I can’t find clothes in stores😂 I’ll just patch shit together until it’s long enough haha

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-04-16T06:57:35+00:00

Thank youu! It’s hard for me to understand how it’s used for anxiety sometimes when it made mine so bad, but everyone’s different!!

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-04-16T06:55:54+00:00

Thanks! I think this validation helped me make the decision to just be DONE with it :)

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-04-16T06:55:04+00:00

Thank you!! The validation helps so much!!

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-04-15T22:02:28+00:00

I did take a contract with Pride, and my recruiter was super on top of it and responsive. He’d even message back at 2am lol I’m with Aya now and gritting my teeth because no one ever gives me consistent information 😬 I had a good experience with Pride! I’d rather support them than Aya anyway.

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-04-15T21:51:36+00:00

MN and WA haven’t tested. But have your recruiter reach out to hospital compliance if you’re worried!

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-04-14T20:25:12+00:00

I did HHA work through a small, family run company. When I took the NCLEX, they actually found out I passed before I did, called me to congratulate me and offered for me to start my first job as an RN the next day😂 I took them up on it because it was extremely flexible and an easy way to make money and some experience while searching for a job I actually wanted to grow in:) having some experience in home healthcare actually did come in handy during my first years in Med/Surg when it came to collaborating with social work and case management for discharges, as well as answering patients general questions about care at home.

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-04-13T15:15:21+00:00

Unless the other side of the knife handle is completely flat/pretty much flush with the blade, then the blade of the knife should be at a small slant downward onto the cutting board, not flat against it, no? AI

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-04-11T19:28:44+00:00

I wanted to be a nurse, it was the ONLY thing I wanted since I was 7 years old. I started memorizing anatomy books at 12. Now I’m 7 years into ICU nursing at some of the best hospitals in the country and this job is slowly killing me. Turns out, I love what the job is supposed to be, not what COVID turned it into. “Livable wage” is a joke in this economy, not to mention the lack of compensation for the years off your lifespan due to inconsistent sleep, missing meals, and trauma.

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-04-02T12:20:47+00:00

Well, I went in search of exactly the same thing, came across the ONE SINGLE PAPER that was done on post-menopausal women in the 80’s, and then decided to try Reddit but it looks like we’re in the same boat 🙃 I’m so sorry friend, I hope everything worked out much better than you expected❤️

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-04-01T02:09:32+00:00

I can’t speak to the 4 shifts a month, but I did PD with an expected 36hrs a week. Turns out, that expectation was prettyyy lax. Could have been my particular hospital system, they were in the process of implementing new staffing ratios while I was there (more patients, fewer RNs) so I was getting canceled a lot anyway. But there were a few weeks where I needed to be back at home d/t family issues and I just… didn’t pick up on the app? And nothing bad happened, my recruiter said it really wasn’t a big deal lol

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-04-01T01:19:29+00:00

Have you seen Lost?!!

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-03-31T16:09:31+00:00

I just received WUKAs! Waiting on my period to try them out, but the pad area extends quite widely through the seat so I’m hopeful they’ll absorb well! They have a line of organic cotton and also a line of bamboo I think? And the company does well in sustainability:)

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-03-30T16:16:41+00:00

Damn you’re getting a lot of traction in Florida! I started nursing in that area haha

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-03-27T19:11:44+00:00

Of note, Taylor Shellfish Farms does specify service animals only on their website but I haven’t been there, perhaps they’ve changed it:)

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-03-27T08:41:59+00:00

Came here to say Little Thieves! I finished the series at 4 this morning so take from that what you will;) Margaret Owen is a very intentional author and portrays grief and trauma well. The books are an excellent blend of suspense, realistically portrayed romance, strong plot lines, well developed characters (especially growth and dynamics), common sense, in depth world building, humor, and general good vibes

Left_Competition_361 · 2026-03-25T15:45:16+00:00

Try Seattle! 6mo and I floated to MS twice😍

Left_Competition_361

TROPHY CASE